The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police has filed a money laundering case against the online travel agency Flight Expert (FEBD) for allegedly embezzling and laundering approximately Tk34,69,31,090.
The case follows an inquiry by the CID’s Financial Crime Unit which found that the organisation collected advance payments from hundreds of customers and sub-agents for air tickets but failed to provide the service.
The case was registered at Motijhil Police Station on 11 July under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 (Amended 2015).
Seven individuals have been named as accused in the case, including Salman Bin Rashid Shah Sayeem, managing director of FEBD and CEO of Flight Expert; MA Rashid Shah Somrat, president; Amir Hamza Rashid Shah Nayem, director; AKM Shahadat Hossain, director; Abdul Gani Mehedi, director; Md Sakib Hossain, head of Finance; and Motaher Hossain, proprietor of Soma International Services.
According to the CID investigation, Flight Expert commenced its online air ticket sales in 2016 and later expanded its operations to include hotel bookings as well as Hajj and Umrah packages.
Although it was registered as a joint-stock company under the name FEBD in 2019, the organisation conducted its business and banking transactions using both the Flight Expert and FEBD titles.
The agency operated through both Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) models, collecting vast sums of advanced money by announcing unusual discounts.
Investigators found that the Managing Director, Salman Bin Rashid Shah Sayeem, fled the country on 1 August 2025 after failing to deliver the promised tickets.
Despite his departure, several directors and the head of Finance reportedly continued to withdraw and transfer significant amounts of money from the company’s bank accounts, which the CID views as evidence of the embezzlement of funds acquired through fraud.
The CID’s inquiry further revealed that funds deposited into accounts under the name FEBD were subsequently transferred to various bank accounts belonging to Flight Expert.
Evidence suggests that money was moved, withdrawn, or converted through various individual and organisational accounts to conceal the source, ownership, and nature of the illicit assets.
The investigation also highlighted that while Flight Expert sourced tickets through various IATA-authorised travel agencies, it frequently withheld them from customers even after receiving the full payment. In some instances, the company was found to have collected payments from multiple sources against the same ticket.
The CID has determined that a total of Tk34,69,31,090 was embezzled through these fraudulent means and subsequently laundered through various banking transactions. The CID will lead the ongoing investigation and continue with all necessary legal proceedings.
